KAMI Mounting Supplies Improves Optical Quality of Film Scanning and is Easy and Safe to use!
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KAMI Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I purchase KAMI products
Answer:
KAMI products are available through large photo supply distribution channels, authorized AZTEK KAMI Distributors as well directly from AZTEK.

Are there some special techniques to using KAMI?
Answer:
There is a demo on the front page AZTEK's web site that might be of assistance that shows technique of mounting with KAMI on a drum scanner, you may click the below links which will allow you to view various instructional videos.

Drum Scanner
There are some slight variation to the technique seen in the online video. When mounting film on a drum scanner on a mounting station (as seen in the online demo) using the roller as the straight edge to help get the transparencies lined up is a quick and effect way to mount. A slight variation to this method is to put a small piece of tape on the middle of the trailing edge and hold onto it as turning the drum in the mounting station or tag straight down if using a flat bed. Once you get to the end of the trailing edge tag it down to the drum or surface with the tape you have tensioned. This keeps the center of the Mylar closer to the surface causing less chance of air bubbles, as well keeps the film from possibly skewing.Flatbed Scanner
Wet Mounting on a flatbed scanner is easy to perform. One should reference the manufactures instructions regarding wet mounting with their product. In some instances there are adapters that will allow one to use wet mounting. One should take caution when using wet mount fluids not to pour the fluid into the scanner. It is recommended, if possible, to do your mounting away from your scanner. For example the Epson Perfection line of scanners has an optional wetmounting holder. Mounting film on a flatbed scanner is similar as mounting on a drum, but on a flat surface. The only difference is that you are most likely not using a mounting station to mount the film. Some individuals use a hand roller to remove excess air bubbles before sealing the overlay material with the KAMI tape. An optically clear sheet of glass can be used on some flatbed scanners, instead of the Mylar and tape method.

I hear that KAMI products causes crazing of the drum cylinder. What is crazing and is this true?
Answer:Absolutely not, the KAMI family of products does not cause crazing. Thousands of users have successfully processed millions of scans over the seven plus years without any issues. Testing of an AZTEK drum has been done in which the drum was submerged completely for 30 hours each in DC Drum Cleaner, SC, SMF Scanner Mounting Fluid (in Europe called SXL) for a total of 90 hours. Upon examination of this drum the drum was flawless without discoloration or cracks. For these tests we also used our ST Scanner Mounting Tape (in Europe called SMT).

Crazing are micro fractures of the drum's surface that look like very small spider cracks to the naked eye. These cracks appear sparkly when a drum is put up to the light and will typically be viewable and seen in scans generated from these damaged drums. To better understand why crazing occurs you need to examine how acrylic drums are formed. in basic terms acrylics are formed by starting with acrylic resin. You put the resin through a chemical process in which a hardener (Catalysts) is added to react to create polymer bonds. In order to make these bonds you must remove Monomers from the acrylic resin. If done properly the resulting reaction will harden the resin and should completely remove all monomers from the resulting acrylic cylinder. Depending on the type of hardener used when forming the drum as well the amount, will determine if the resulting reaction will fully remove the Monomers or not. If this does not occur this will result in a improperly formed drum. As a result Micro fractures unseen by the eye will exist in the cylinder that was improperly formed and it is only a matter of time till they become apparent and visible.

Drums that have been weakened and overheated by incorrect lath polishing either in the manufacturing process or refurbishing process will typically be damaged resulting in crazing. When a drum is directly exposed to film cleaner such as PEC-12 or Alcohol these products would most certainly cause crazing. When KAMI is used with damaged drums mentioned the micro cracks will become very visible. As other companies bring to market products to compete with KAMI, it would seem they are trying to grab market share by instilling fear in the hearts of the existing KAMI user community by spreading incorrect information.

KAMI is a family of products particularly designed for use with film scanners. For approximately two decades - thousands of users have used KAMI with their scanners with no issues. People using KAMI have done millions upon millions of scans with great success with the product. AZTEK manufactures scanners, as well as, the scanner drums; it is a very well known fact that KAMI does not damage drums. In fact… when AZTEK builds drums the material is QA Tested for defects by the use of KAMI.

I hear KAMI is Hazardous and Flammable what is the deal about this?Answer:KAMI is a flammable material and you should avoid smoking or having an open flame exposed to the fluid. In testing that we have conducted it was very hard to ignite KAMI, Material Data Sheets (MSDS) are readily available by request.

KAMI is the most widely used and established wet mounting product for scanning with a huge client base. This includes photographers, large corporations and government clients that adhere to strict OSHA safety regulations here in the United States.

Note: Unlike some KAMI imitation products, KAMI does not include the toxic substance Xylene. Xylene is a toxin that affects the brain, kidneys and liver and can be hazardous to frequent users who come in contact via skin, eyes, nose or throat. MSDS Sheet Xylene

Can KAMI be used on all scanners?
Answer:
KAMI can be used on Drum Scanners as well Flatbed Scanners. One should reference the manufacture's instructions regarding wet mounting with their product. In some instances there are optional adapters that will allow one to use wet mounting. The Epson Perfection series of scanners offers a optional Fluid mount adatper accesory. One should take caution when using wet mount fluids not to accidentally pour the fluid in the scanner. It is recommended to conduct the wet mounting process away from your scanner. Note that AZTEK offers starter kits for Flatbed Scanner, EPSON Flatbed Scanners and Drum Scanner.

Can KAMI be used on Nitrate Films. and will it affect touch ups on films?Answer:Yes, KAMI can be used with Nitrate Films. It is recommended not to use wet mounting with Nitrate Film that are damaged or falling apart. If the emulsion appears as if it is liquefying, do not use wet mounting to scan.

Can KAMI be used on films that have touch ups?Answer:Yes, Films that might have direct touch ups on them can also be wet mounted. In testing that has been performed touch ups were not dissolved. We recommend you perform the same tests we did. First select a non-critical piece of film and mount and scan it in KAMI Scanner Mounting Fluid under AZTEK AZ-42 Mylar overlay with KAMI tape sealing the edges. Then if you find any issues like the touch up marks are being effected. I then recommend you mount the film again with KAMI, but this time with the non-emulsion side down and no overlay, tape the film down with KAMI tape to seal the solution. Create a custom density calibration for your film characterization that will remove the film base from the capture. This will then still allow for the optical quality benefits and no newton rings, while your silver nitrate emulsion and touch up marks are kept away from the all solutions. By the way the best scanner to do this is an AZTEK Plateau or any scanner with the AZTEK Digital PhotoLab Software. The Plateau Scanner or scanners with the AZTEK Digital PhotoLab Software are specially designed to have direct film characterization software thus targeting the film densities on the scanner for direct capture.
Note: Unlike some KAMI imitation products, KAMI does not include the toxic substance Xylene. Xylene is a toxin that affects the brain, kidneys and liver and can be hazardous to frequent users who come in contact via skin, eyes, nose or throat. Xylene MSDS Information

Do I need special tape to wet mount with KAMI?Answer:
We recommend the use of KAMI tape with the KAMI mounting fluid as it is especially formulated to not leave residue behind when removed and it adheres in the presence of the fluid.

Why should I use high quality Mylar such as AZ42?
Answer:
Not just any overlay material would be suitable for optical scanning devices, since any imperfections in the material can be transposed directly into your scans. These imperfections would create the need to spend hours of unneeded touch up, which takes away from some of the advantages of wet mounting in the first place. AZTEK offers high quality Mylar that is designed to be optically clear and free of haze to allow for beautiful scans and less retouch. Our Mylar is called AZ42 and is available in a number of sizes including 9" X 11", 12" X 18" and 20" X 24".